The Baltic wolf population is scientifically estimated at 3,600 individuals, of which 600 live in Latvia.

There was a premium for wolf shootings until 1999, and wolf hunting was fully open until 2003. That means there were no requirements in terms of a shooting plan. Over 200 wolves were killed annually in the 1990s, and nearly 400 in 1996.
On average, half of the gray dogs killed in the Baltic States fall in Latvia.

Latvia has it all: lynx, wolf, elk, deer, sow, deer – and everything can be hunted in Latvia.
Latvia is a member of the EU but has not signed the species protection directives.

Do you wonder? Nobody in the country does that. The wolves are hunted as usual, like in four other EU countries, namely in Lithuania, Finland, Greece and parts of Spain.

In 1997, Latvia acceded to the Bern Convention, an agreement to conserve European wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, provided that no special protection was granted to the wolf.

In the accession negotiations with the EU, the Baltic States achieved a so-called geographical exception, namely: Wolf was recognized as a population with a favorable conservation status.

Wolf hunting is legal under the following conditions:
1. application of the hunting methods permitted in the directive,
2. continuous population surveillance,
3. Implementation of more suitable protective measures

There are psychopaths who dream of killing a lion in the African steppe, a polar bear in the eternal ice or a magnificent lynx in Latvia!

For many serial offenders, it is a great feeling when the trophy is stuffed over the fireplace at home or used as a bed mat.

In fact, there are a number of organizers worldwide who handle such requests – for a lot of money. Hunting a polar bear in Canada costs up to 40,000 euros, elephants and lions in Africa up to 60,000 euros and black rhino even up to 280,000 euros. A shot at the wolf in Macedonia costs 3,000 euros.
Nevertheless, there is great interest.

In Bulgaria and Romania, this primitive pleasure of killing the wolf for pleasure is far cheaper. There the hunt for the wild animal costs 400 to 500 euros. And if one of these hunting tourists shot a wolf in an EU member state, he is also allowed to import it into Germany, according to customs officials.

Quote from the story of a German hunter who took part in a hunting tour against wolf: “Latvia is not only the cheaper alternative, no, in Latvia you can legally hunt wolves. Captured wolf trophies can be prepared and taken to Germany with CITES- approval *! It was clear to all of us: we will be back “!

* (CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)

P.S: We got a call for help from blog readers.
They asked us to write a separate article about the brutality and unscrupulousness of the lynx and wolf hunters in Latvia.

Hunting is legal in this country and psychopaths make shameless use of it.
We therefore only see the possibility of petitioning:

(a) to the Government of Latvia and
(b) to the EU Commission.

Of course, we have to say in advance that the results of a petition are not always positive, even if they are widely accepted.
However, a petition brings up unknown crimes that most countries want to avoid.
In any case, we must not give up, we have to keep fighting, we owe it to the animals.

Best regards to all, Venus